Caissa Codex
C03

French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Thunderbunny Variation

Chess diagram: French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Thunderbunny Variation after 5…e5

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

3,409 games: White 55.0% / Draw 5.2% / Black 39.8%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
1,9881,988
720720
293293
150150
107107
4343
4141
2222

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.32 White is slightly better

Best play: 6. d5 Nce7 7. Nf3 Qxd5 8. Qxd5 Nxd5 9. Nxe5 Ngf6 10. Nxf6+ Nxf6

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Thunderbunny Variation (ECO C03, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. c3 dxe4 5. Nxe4 e5 (5 moves).

In 3,409 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.0%, Black 39.8% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. d5, in 58% of those games.

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How to play against the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Thunderbunny Variation

The most played answer, 6. d5, also scores best for White: 59.4%, with White winning 57.1% and Black 38.4% of 1,988 games. Of the main answers, 6. Nf3 scores lowest: 55.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. d5.

Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 4. c3 dxe4 5. Nxe4 e5, the position after French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Thunderbunny Variation (C03)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-tarrasch-variation-guimard-defense-thunderbunny-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-tarrasch-variation-guimard-defense-thunderbunny-variation